Earring

Abstract

An improvement in post-type earrings, which are earrings connected to a human ear by a rigid slender short rod or post which extends from an ornament, and is rectilinear and cylindrical. The post is threaded at the end opposite to the ornament, and a clutch having a conical configuration formed by a concave base and a plurality of radial springy fingers is provided. The clutch is pushed onto the post, whereby the tips of the fingers engage the convolutions of the helical threading, and the clutch may only be removed by unscrewing it off of the post. The present clutch configuration features a terminal tip of each springy finger having a terminal lip portion which diverges away from the direction of curvature of the finger, so that the lips define, in combination, an opening from which the springy fingers extend radially, and through which the post is threaded when the earring is mounted to the ear. In addition, the base of the present clutch is provided with a cylindrical sleeve which depends from a central opening in the base portion towards the terminal tips of the fingers.

Having thus described the invention, there is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent: 
     
       1. An earring for pierced ears which comprises an ornament in a setting, a rectilinear cylindrical post extending from said ornament setting, at least a portion of the outer surface of said post having a helical threading, and a clutch, said clutch having a central disc-shaped base portion having a substantially circular central opening and an outer perimeter, a plurality of spaced-apart curved springy fingers, said curved springy fingers extending radially from terminal tips defining an opening, to a curved attachment to the substantially circular outer perimeter of said base portion, so that said clutch is substantially conical, and a cylindrical sleeve, said sleeve depending from said central opening in said base portion towards said terminal tips of said fingers, so as to guide said post towards the opening in the clutch defined by said terminal tips of said curved springy fingers, said clutch being engageable by said post by extending said post axially through the central opening in said base portion and through said sleeve, and then through the opening defined by the terminal tips of said fingers, whereby the tips of said fingers pass over the convolutions of the threading, and so that said clutch cannot be disengaged from said post by reverse axial movement but may be disengaged from said post only by rotating said clutch to slide the tips of said fingers along the convolutions of the helical threading of said post, whereby said clutch is unscrewed off of said post, the circular central opening and the substantially circular perimeter of the base portion of said clutch being concentric, and the central opening defined by the terminal tips of said fingers being coaxial with both the circular central opening of the base portion of said clutch and said sleeve. 
     
     
       2. The earring of claim 1 in which the number of fingers is four. 
     
     
       3. The earring of claim 1 in which the curved springy fingers have a concave inner surface and a convex outer surface. 
     
     
       4. The earring of claim 1 in which the terminal tips of the curved springy fingers are rounded. 
     
     
       5. The earring of claim 1 in which the terminal tips of the curved springy fingers define a substantially circular opening. 
     
     
       6. The earring of claim 1 in which all of the elements of the clutch have a substantially uniform and equal thickness. 
     
     
       7. The earring of claim 1 in which the base portion of the clutch is concave. 
     
     
       8. The earring of claim 1 in which the terminal tip of each curved springy finger includes a terminal lip portion, said lip portion diverging away from the direction of curvature of the finger, so that said lips define, in combination, an extension of the sleeve, said sleeve extension being discrete from, spaced from, and coaxial with the sleeve. 
     
     
       9. The earring of claim 8 in which the sleeve extension composed of the lip portions defines a substantially cylindrical passage at the opening defined by the terminal tips of the fingers. 
     
     
       10. The earring of claim 8 in which each of the lip portions curves inwardly from its respective finger and toward a terminus contiguous with the helical threading on the outer surface of the post. 
     
     
       11. The earring of claim 8 in which each of the lip portions terminates with an arc-shaped inner curved terminus contiguous with the helical threading on the outer surface of the post, so that the lip portions define, in combination, a substantially circular opening through which the clutch is engageable by the post. 
     
     
       12. An earring for pierced ears which comprises an ornament in a setting, a rectilinear cylindrical post extending from said ornament setting, at least a portion of the outer surface of said post having a helical threading, and a clutch, said clutch having a central disc-shaped base portion having a substantially circular central opening and an outer perimeter, and a plurality of spaced-apart curved springy fingers, said curved springy fingers extending radially from terminal tips defining an opening, to a curved attachment to the substantially circular outer perimeter of said base portion, so that said clutch is substantially conical, the terminal tip of each curved springy finger including a terminal lip portion, said lip portion diverging away from the direction of curvature of the finger, so that said lips define, in combination, said opening from which said curved springy fingers extend radially, said clutch being engageable by said post by extending said post axially through the central opening in said base portion and then through the opening defined by the terminal tips of said fingers, whereby the tips of said fingers pass over the convolutions of the threading, and so that said clutch cannot be disengaged from said post by reverse axial movement but may be disengaged from said post only by rotating said clutch to slide the tips of said fingers along the convolutions of the helical threading of said post, whereby said clutch is unscrewed off of said post, the circular central opening and the substantially circular perimeter of the base portion of said clutch being concentric, and the central opening defined by the terminal tips of said fingers being coaxial with the circular central opening of the base portion of said clutch. 
     
     
       13. The earring of claim 12 in which the lip portions define a substantially cylindrical passage at the opening defined by the terminal tips of the fingers. 
     
     
       14. The earring of claim 12 in which each of the lip portions curves inwardly from its respective finger and toward a terminus contiguous with the helical threading on the outer surface of the post. 
     
     
       15. The earring of claim 12 in which each of the lip portions terminates with an arc-shaped inner curved terminus contiguous with the helical threading on the outer surface of the post, so that the lip portions define, in combination, a substantially circular opening through which the clutch is engageable by the post. 
     
     
       16. The earring of claim 12 in which the number of fingers is four. 
     
     
       17. The earring of claim 12 in which the curved springy fingers have a concave inner surface and a convex outer surface. 
     
     
       18. The earring of claim 12 in which the terminal tips of the curved springy fingers are rounded. 
     
     
       19. The earring of claim 12 in which the terminal lips of the curved springy fingers define a substantially circular opening. 
     
     
       20. The earring of claim 12 in which all of the elements of the clutch have a substantially uniform and equal thickness. 
     
     
       21. The earring of claim 12 in which the base portion of the clutch is concave. 
     
     
       22. An earring for pierced ears which comprises an ornament in a setting, a rectilinear cylindrical post extending from said ornament setting, at least a portion of the outer surface of said post having a helical threading, and a clutch, said clutch having a central disc-shaped base portion having a substantially circular central opening and an outerperimeter, a plurality of spaced-apart curved springy fingers, said curved springy fingers extending radially from terminal tips defining an opening, to a curved attachment to the substantially circular outer perimeter of said base portion, so that said clutch is substantially conical, the terminal tip of each curved springy finger including a terminal lip portion, said lip portion diverging away from the direction of curvature of the finger, so that said lips define, in combination, said opening from which said curved springy fingers extend radially, and a cylindrical sleeve, said sleeve depending from said central opening in said base portion towards said terminal lip portions of said fingers, so that said lips define, in combination, an extension of the sleeve, said sleeve extension being discrete from, spaced from, and coaxial with said sleeve, said clutch being engageable by said post by extending said post axially through the central opening in said base portion and through said sleeve, and then through the opening defined by the terminal tips of said fingers, whereby the tips of said fingers pass over the convolutions of the threading, and so that said clutch cannot be disengaged from said post by reverse axial movement but may be disengaged from said post only by rotating said clutch to slide the tips of said fingers along the convolutions of the helical threading of said post, whereby said clutch is unscrewed off of said post, the circular central opening and the substantially circular perimeter of the base portion of said clutch being concentric, and the central opening defined by the terminal tips of said fingers being coaxial with both the circular central opening of the base portion of said clutch and said sleeve.